mom making first grade lesson plans with white socks examining the occasional stranger.

jake & dad snow-shoeing together, which jake describes as "perfect."

springs promise.

garage summer treasures.

deer tracks dancing around the backyard compost pile.

***

after an evening and afternoon with my parents we headed north to spend an evening with our kindred friends, Rene & Richard + two. after a two night stay following an ice/rain/snow storm Rene and I stood amazed to see that Richard & Jake were still around and still committed. as Richard told Jake, "I've been around for ten years with them together, you have to get away when you can."

Little G, our little Indian child, squatting & watching.

cooking fun.

beautiful Little M.

***

we took the long way home down the lake michigan coastline. toward St. Joseph we snuck in to a deeply wooded city park and began a hopeful walk down the lake.

yet, after a number of deep ice cliffs and sweeping snow banks with cold winds biting at our ears & noses and no end in sight due to the frozen shallow seas, we headed back to the crystallized ginger and cinnamon covered almonds to keep us company.